Edible cores (e.g., coatable food particulates) are often coated with materials that provide flavor or texture benefits. Examples of such products include honey roasted nuts, chocolate covered nuts, chocolate or yogurt covered raisins, seasoned extruded particulates, candy coated chocolate particulates, and so on.
However, it has been especially difficult to provide processes for coating individual edible cores with some types of coatings such as a farinaceous dough. One attempt at providing such a process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,113 to Mochizuki et al., issued Feb. 12, 1985. Mochizuki et al. discloses a batch process for preparing snack products having an expanded, crisp, fried coating. Edible cores are alternatively and repeatedly sprinkled or sprayed with a starchy flour mixture and an aqueous sugar solution. The cores are so treated while they are held in a tumbling coater such as a revolving pan or rotary drum. After edible cores in the batch are sufficiently coated, they are then oil fried.
Batch processing methods have historically been employed when coating individual edible cores with a farinaceous dough. Only when the current batch of edible cores is coated can the next batch be processed. Batch processing methods typically involve first adding an adhesive material to a batch of edible cores. When the edible cores are sufficiently coated with the adhesive, a farinaceous powder is applied to the adhesive-coated edible cores. The resulting coated edible cores are then baked or oil fried.
These batch processing methods with respect to farinaceous dough coating processes are inefficient. Only small amounts of coated edible cores can be produced per batch (e.g., up to about 200 lbs/batch/15-30 minutes). Increasing production rates often requires the use of concurrent batch operations. Concurrent batch operations, however, require more machinery, factory space and personnel. It is also difficult to maintain a consistent product composition (e.g., coating thickness, coating composition) among different batches.
Given these limitations associated with batch processing methods, it would be highly desirable to provide a continuous process for coating edible cores in a farinaceous dough. Although there are many known processes for continuously coating edible cores, such processes do not generally involve products having farinaceous dough coatings. Attempts to carry out continuous farinaceous dough coating processes typically result in aggregated, unevenly coated or overly coated edible cores. It is especially difficult to continuously produce evenly coated, non-aggregated edible cores when the farinaceous coating (after cooking) represents between about 15 and 70% by weight of the edible cores.
Given the foregoing, there remains a need to provide improved processes for coating edible cores with suitable amounts of a farinaceous dough. In particular, there is a need for providing efficient continuous processes for evenly coating non-aggregated edible cores with a farinaceous dough.